The Top 10 Healthiest Beverages 

“Just water for me, thanks” might be your every time order while starting to get bored. It is true that water is the healthiest drink and that nothing can beat it, but the good news is that there are a list of other beverages that can help you stay within the healthy side of things.

1.      Pomegranate Juice: It is full of antioxidants! The red juice may help prevent inflammation, heart disease, and cancer. So having a glass every now and then is a good choice. Some bottles are diluted with other liquids or have added sugars, so make sure you look at what you are drinking. You want pure pomegranate. Don’t accept anything less.

2.      Low Fat Milk: An excellent source of calcium and vitamin D! Sometimes it seems like low fat and skimmed milk are less of a grown-up option, but still they are great sources of protein and other essential micronutrients. These low-fat varieties contain much less saturated fat than reduced-fat milk or whole milk, that’s why they are the best choices.

3.      Green Tea: With just enough caffeine to give you that energy boost but not so much that you crash later, green tea will do the trick. It has also lots of antioxidants with each cup.

4.      Orange Juice: A rich source of Vitamin C and flavonoids, both of which are known to alleviate seasonal allergies.

5.      Beet Juice: Beets lower down your blood pressure, increase the blood flow to the brain in older adults (slowing the progression of dementia), and keep the liver healthy. It contains zero trans and saturated fats and it is high in magnesium, calcium, and iron levels. The only down side of it is that this juice is hard to find, so you may either need to prepare it at home or order it from a juice bar.

6.      Hot Chocolate: One of the best natural ways to ease the pain of menstrual cramps is through drinking beverages with high content of magnesium. To get that magnesium, you can prepare a homemade hot chocolate with raw cocoa powder. You can try almond milk and honey or a little bit of maple syrup if you want to sweeten it up.

7.      Kale Juice: It might seem annoyingly trendy, but there are justifiable reasons why so many people are in love with kale. From bone health to regulating your bowels, the dark, leafy green is full of vitamins and minerals. Therefore, it is not a bad idea to buy a juicer and prepare kale or other juices at home, in order to avoid the high sodium content of bottled veggie juices in the markets.

8.      Lemon Juice: Not lemonade but lemon juice! You should drink lemon juice. It cleanses the liver, stimulates bile production, and helps with digestion. Lemon also boosts your immune system through its Vitamin C content.

9.      Ginger Tea: The excellent natural remedy for all tummy troubles. It soothes an upset stomach, relieves motion sickness and pregnancy related nausea. It further eases digestion. Add some ginger roots in a cup of hot water and add a tea spoon of honey to have this healthy drink.

10.     Cranberry Juice: This one helps your body fight against infections and bacteria. It is better to choose the pure one rather than the cocktail, since the cocktail is loaded with sugar.

Christelle Bedrossian
Dietitian-Nutritionist
Beirut, Lebanon